Two issues fixed:
1. Process group cascade: exec-command processes inherited the
container runtime's process group. When an entrypoint script
did kill(0, SIGTERM) during shutdown, it signaled ALL processes
in the group — including other subcontainers' launch wrappers,
causing their PID namespaces to collapse. Fixed by calling
setsid() in exec-command's pre_exec to isolate each service
in its own process group.
2. Unordered daemon termination: removeChild("main") fired
onLeaveContext callbacks for all Daemon.of() instances
simultaneously, bypassing Daemons.term()'s reverse-dependency
ordering. Fixed by having Daemons.build() mark individual
daemons as managed (suppressing their onLeaveContext) and
registering a single onLeaveContext that calls the ordered
Daemons.term(). The term() method is deduplicated so
system.stop() and onLeaveContext share the same shutdown.
What is StartOS?
StartOS is an open-source Linux distribution for running a personal server. It handles discovery, installation, network configuration, data backup, dependency management, and health monitoring of self-hosted services.
Tech stack: Rust backend (Tokio/Axum), Angular frontend, Node.js container runtime with LXC, and a custom diff-based database (Patch-DB) for reactive state synchronization.
Services run in isolated LXC containers, packaged as S9PKs — a signed, merkle-archived format that supports partial downloads and cryptographic verification.
What can you do with it?
StartOS lets you self-host services that would otherwise depend on third-party cloud providers — giving you full ownership of your data and infrastructure.
Browse available services on the Start9 Marketplace, including:
- Bitcoin & Lightning — Run a full Bitcoin node, Lightning node, BTCPay Server, and other payment infrastructure
- Communication — Self-host Matrix, SimpleX, or other messaging platforms
- Cloud Storage — Run Nextcloud, Vaultwarden, and other productivity tools
Services are added by the community. If a service you want isn't available, you can package it yourself.
Getting StartOS
Buy a Start9 server
The easiest path. Buy a server from Start9 and plug it in.
Build your own
Follow the install guide to install StartOS on your own hardware. . Reasons to go this route:
- You already have compatible hardware
- You want to save on shipping costs
- You prefer not to share your physical address
- You enjoy building things
Build from source
See CONTRIBUTING.md for environment setup, build instructions, and development workflow.
Contributing
There are multiple ways to contribute: work directly on StartOS, package a service for the marketplace, or help with documentation and guides. See CONTRIBUTING.md or visit start9.com/contribute.
To report security issues, email security@start9.com.